Paul dwal



(No Model.)

P. DUVAL.

. LIFE BOAT. Q No. 281,622. 2 Patented Jul 17, 1883.

N. PETERS, Fhclo-Littlcgliplwr, wmin mn. D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

PAUL DUVAL, PARIS, FRANCE.

Ll FE -BOAT.

sPEcrFIcA'rIon forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,622, dated July17, 1883.

Application filed Apri120, 1882. (No model.) Patented in France July 19,1880, No. 137,838; in Russia Augustin, 1880; in England August 26, 1880,No. 3,459, and in Belgium August 28, 1880, No. 52,433.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL DUVAL, of the city of Paris, in the Departmentof the Seine and Republic of France, have invented an Improved System ofLife-Boats and Ships; andI do hereby declare the same to be fully,clearly, and exactly described as follows:

This invention relates to an improvement wherebyboats and ships orvessels of any size may be rendered more nearly insubmersive orunsinkable. i

My invention is based upon the application of cork in superposed piecesor planks, outside of the planking or sheathing of the boat or'vessel,which application being made without alteration of the exterior shape ofthe Y nautical qualities.

line, go on increasing in thickness until they On the accompanying sheetof drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a boat embodying thisinvention, Fig. 2 being a'half-sectional plan, and Fig. 3 across-section, of same.

As shown on the drawings, the cork planking L is applied outside of theordinary planking of the boat, from immediately under the gunwale A downto the float-line B; and in order that this application may not in anyway alter its primitive outer form, I make the frame or carcass of theboat from the careening or float line up to the gunwales with an inwardcurve, as shown at Fig. 3, to receive the planks, plates, or pieces ofcork, which, countersunk into the planking atthe floatattain the levelof the gunwales. Thus there 3 5 is upon the sides of the boat a sort ofarmorplating of cork, which, increasing in thickness more and more as itapproaches the gunwale, at the same time increases the resistance tosubmersion in proportion to the sinking of 0 the boat or ship underthe-weight of its load or cargo. A boat constructed in this way maytherefore be entirely filled with water, and will not only still float,but will at the same time carry its crew, as proved by experiment, Insuch case it is only necessary to open the bottom valves to enable theboat to empty itself and rise to its normal float-line. For the purposeof increasing this power of righting itself Ihave arranged planks orsheets of cork 0 inside of the boat. The cork may be protected on theoutside by any suitable kind of coveringsuch as canvas, wood, or 'metalcoated with any suitable preparation for preserving it from the effectsof seawater and of g p P. DUVAL.

\Vitnesses: I

RoBr. M. HooPER, A. BAIN.

